Guilford County Violence Prevention Initiative (VPI) partners develop and design opportunities for community outreach and education to support awareness and community mobilization to prevent violence in Guilford County. This collective: 

• Fosters cross-sector collaboration between community-based organizations, non-profit organizations, faith-based communities, grassroots organizations, educational institutions, and individuals with lived experience to save lives and reduce trauma induced by exposure to violence. 
• Builds trust with community partners and the communities we serve. 
• Supports evidence-based initiatives and strategies to reduce community violence. 

For more information about VPI, contact Dennis Jenkins at djenkin@guilfordcountync.gov.

Guilford County Violence Prevention Initiative (VPI)’s approach to gun violence prevention included establishing new and diverse partnerships, supporting existing efforts, and forging innovative evidence-based strategies to reduce and prevent firearm violence. 

2024 efforts included:

• Fostering cross-sector collaboration via convened meetings, regular promotion of partner events and activities and participating in the planning and implementation of violence reduction activities.
• Creating a space to collectively share and analyze violence data, identify patterns and needs, and inform current and ongoing violence prevention activities.
• Identifying the priority areas of firearm violence to address including:
  • Suicide,
  • Homicide by addressing youth and adult community violence, and 
  • Intimate partner and family violence.
• Developing five workgroups to focus on the priority areas.
• Establishing the Guilford County Firearm Safety and Education Team to distribute safe storage tools and educational resources.

Building on the partnerships and infrastructure established in 2024, the GCVPI advanced from foundational planning to applied strategy development and implementation support in 2025, with a focus on evidence-based prevention models and systems coordination.

2025 efforts included:

• Advancing evidence-based violence prevention strategies, with focused development of two nationally recognized approaches:
  • Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Programs (HVIPs): Developed program concepts and draft proposals with technical advisement from established HVIP sites and initiated feasibility discussions with Cone Health (Greensboro) and Atrium Health (High Point) to explore implementation pathways.
  • Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED):
    • Conducted a preliminary landscape analysis of priority communities across multiple Guilford County municipalities and initiated CPTED reviews during early project planning to ensure prevention-oriented design.
    • Engaged new partnerships with organizations and individuals with skills related to core CPTED principles including natural surveillance and initiating environmental risk assessments to identify vulnerabilities and opportunities to reduce and prevent violence.
    • Sought opportunities to develop knowledge and insight on intelligence and surveillance related to violence prevention and reduction.
• Actively supporting and amplifying partner-led initiatives through participation in planning and implementation activities, staffing and supporting community events, and promoting partner programs to strengthen alignment and reach.
• Expanding cross-sector partnerships across healthcare systems, law enforcement agencies, and community-based organizations to support coordinated, place-based prevention efforts.
• Sustaining community engagement, including participation in approximately 60 community events throughout 2025.
• Scaling firearm safety and education efforts, with the distribution of more than 130 firearm safety locks in collaboration with the Guilford County Firearm Safety and Education Team, the Department of Social Services, and Family Connects program.